Bella Jewel – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Bella Jewel – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:01:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Bella Jewel – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 Heart Song Read Online Bella Jewel http://www.books2020.com/heart-song-read-online-bella-jewel Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:01:34 +0000 https://www.books2020.com/heart-song-read-online-bella-jewel Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, Dark, MC Authors: Bella Jewel Advertisement

Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 59120 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 236(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)

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Two years ago, Violet ran.
She left behind the betrayal, pain, and man who shattered her heart.
Travis Phoenix.
Once her safe place.
Now a world-famous rockstar drowning in fame, addiction, and regret.
For two years she tried to forget him. Tried to rebuild herself far away from the life that nearly destroyed her.
But some ghosts refuse to stay buried.
Now she’s coming home after an accident gives her no other choice.
She tells herself it’s for closure. Just to make sure he’s okay.
To face the past and move on.
But the moment she sees Travis again, she realizes something has changed.
He’s darker.
More dangerous.
And harder to resist than ever.
The boy she loved is gone, replaced by a man battling demons he can barely control

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

They say the dying don’t feel the cold. Maybe the body saves its last energy for shock, a neat evolutionary trick. My body seems to have missed that memo, because I feel everything—the rain stinging my face, the warm blood soaking my shirt, the clanging of steel doors when the ambulance crew pulls them open, shouts echoing through the night. Someone with cigarette hands drags me onto a plastic sheet.

I try to blink, but it would seem my eyes have forgotten how to work. Instead, I lie there, piercing droplets of rain hammering into my eyeballs as I stare blankly up at the buzzing neon sign. They’re asking my name, repeatedly, and I know the answer, it’s in there somewhere, but my mouth refuses to cooperate.

I’m surprised how much this doesn’t scare me.

Somehow, my dad found out what happened, because suddenly he’s there, howling, “You better let me see my fuckin’ daughter or so help me God, I will fuckin’ make a scene you won’t forget.”

“Sir! Step back!” a cop, or maybe EMS, bellows back.

I want to tell him it’s okay, but the words keep slapping against the back of my teeth, refusing to escape.

They pack me into the ambulance, and my body feels strangely limp, as if my muscles have just forgotten how to work. My arm slides off the gurney and flops. The paramedic beside me, a young lady who barely looks older than me, smiles down as she takes my hand and continues talking, trying to get answers that I am still unable to give.

Eventually, she works a needle into my vein and I half-laugh, because I can feel the sting of the needle far more than the pain of the bullet that ripped through me only moments ago. My father is still roaring outside, louder than the rain. I wonder if they will let him in. I wouldn’t put it past him to shoot his way in, if need be.

That wouldn’t end well for any of us.

I shift—at least, I try to. My pulse is thumping, relentless. My body wants to give in, float away like the rain over the highway, but I dig in. I don’t want the easy way. I want the part where people are proud of me for surviving.

“Violet, can you squeeze my hand?”

The paramedic is back to attempting questions that I am still not answering.

I imagine what Dad will say when he finally reaches me. I can almost hear his voice, hoarse and bruised, promising he’ll get his shit together. He won’t. It’s not how we’re built. I wonder if Travis knows I’m here. Is he driving recklessly down the road right now, desperate to reach me?

My heart sinks.

Because I already know Travis and my story is over.

They slam the ambulance doors. My gurney rattles, and I can’t tell if I black out again or just lose my grip on the moment, because the next thing I know, I’m being pushed quickly down a hall, the blazing white light above me burning my eyes. Then, there are more hands, more voices, far too much chaos.

“She’s a lucky girl,” someone says, “she should have died instantly from a shot like that.”

I want to say I’m not lucky. Not even unlucky. I just am.

The gurney jerks left and we push through swinging doors. My cheeks prickle with sudden warmth, and my body suddenly feels very alive, like every nerve ending is on fire. Two people descend at once. I fixate on the name stitched onto the taller one’s jacket and try to get my brain to remember it: Jacob. That’s not so hard. His hands move fast, peeling away my layers, until there’s nothing left but the sticky t-shirt and my broken skin.

I hear Chief’s voice again. Of course it didn’t take him long to arrive and make his presence known once more.

They say, “Sir, you have to wait outside,” and the words he throws back at them are enough to make the room fall silent.

They let him in.

“Baby, I’m here. I’m right here. Look at me.”

His eyes scan my face, and his hands keep flexing open and shut around mine. He leans in close, pressing his forehead to mine. He whispers, “Stay with me, kid. Don’t you pull any of that bullshit, you hear me? You’re gonna get through this and tell me all about it on the other side.”

The doctor tells him that he needs to go now, time is up, but he ignores him. Chief’s voice is gravelly as he presses his lips to my forehead. “I love you, Violet. I’m so goddamn sorry.”

I blink—just once, because it feels like it takes every single ounce of strength to pull my eyelids down and shove them back up. I want to grab his arm, or squeeze his hand, or just simply smile, but nothing is working.

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Advertisement Phoenix Rockstar Read Online Bella Jewel http://www.books2020.com/phoenix-rockstar-read-online-bella-jewel Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:21:01 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/phoenix-rockstar-read-online-bella-jewel Genre: Alpha Male, Angst, Bad Boy, Biker, MC Authors: Bella Jewel Advertisement

Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60482 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)

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Originally released under my pen name, Bec Botefuhr. Rewritten, revised and revamped!

Violet grew up in a world of bikers, rough men, and broken homes.
The only constant in her life was Travis — her best friend, her safe place, her first love.
They survived childhood together… until he disappeared.
No goodbye. No explanation.
He went on to become a famous rockstar, something she always knew he would be.
The Travis Phoenix.
To the world, he is a superstar, but to her, he is and always will be the boy next door who stole her heart.
Now he’s back, and every old feeling she desperately pushed down, comes rushing back.
She isn’t the girl he left behind anymore.
Life has changed and shaped her.
And she’s not sure she’s what he wants anymore.
Because loving Travis was easy.
Surviving without him was harder.
But letting him back in?
That might just break her

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

I STAND IN THE PALE morning light filtering through the sheer curtains of our uptown Los Angeles kitchen, my gaze tracing the delicate curve of my mother’s cheekbones and the soft swell of her full lips as she fixes me with that familiar disapproving look. The polished granite countertop presses beneath her elbow, and she tucks a glossy chestnut bang behind her ear with a restless fingertip.

“Do you have to go this weekend, baby?” she asks, voice pitched just high enough to betray the worry behind her pretty pout.

Every Saturday morning unfolds the same way—her anxiety rising with the steam from the coffee pot, mine rising in defiance. My parents have been separated since I was little, and yet each Friday afternoon I pack my bag and drive south to my father’s club, the Phoenix Devils MC. I haven’t managed to get my life together enough to move out yet, even though I am old enough, so while I remain under my mother’s roof I follow nearly every rule she sets—except this one.

It matters to me that I keep a relationship with him, even if it bothers her. It’s not like I’m a child and this is a custody agreement, no, I go by choice because I want to, because he matters to me, and because...well...I need him.

“Mom,” I say, drawing in a slow breath to steady the flutter in my chest. The scent of vanilla creamer and sizzling bacon drifts through the air as I fold my arms. “I love spending time with Chief. You know that. He has never put me in any danger. Why are we always having this conversation?”

She presses her lips together and chews the inside of her cheek so hard I can see the faint hollowing beneath her skin. The tension in her jaw reminds me of its unwavering presence each time I mention my weekend plans.

“Your father’s world is dangerous, Violet. I don’t doubt that he would do whatever he could to keep you safe, but the fact of the matter is, it’s still a dangerous world and I don’t like you being in it, especially now you’re older. What if you got hurt, or worse?”

I step closer, my boots scuffing softly on the tile. “I’ve spent every weekend with Chief since the two of you split. Have I ever come home with a scratch?” I lift my chin. “Have I ever done anything to let you down, or make you think I can’t handle myself?”

Her blue eyes hesitate, then she shakes her head. “No. But you’re grown now, and those men...”

I wave a hand, halting her before she can spiral into more what-ifs. “Those men have always treated me like a princess. I’m twenty-three, Momma. I need to make my own choices. I respect you, you know that, but this is important to me, and I want to see him.”

She exhales behind her teeth, a sound like paper tearing. Finally, she nods, her shoulders slumping in reluctant surrender. “Alright. I won’t push you. I know why you want to go, but please be careful.”

“I’ll text you every day,” I promise, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “If anything happens, I’ll be in my car and driving home, no hesitation. I promise.”

She glances toward the door. “What about Caden? I thought he was in town and was going to give you a lift?”

She will never call my father Chief, which is what everyone else calls him. She outright refuses.

I force a smile, letting my fingers drum against the counter. My mother’s deep-seated fear of the club bleeds into every question. “He was, but he changed his plans so I’m going to drive now.”

She frowns but doesn’t argue. I will never quite understand where her fear lies, or why she’s so cagey when it comes to the club and my dad. She has told me small amounts of their story, but never enough to help me understand.

Maybe one day she will.

“Is Jaq going to be there?”

I snort, picturing my father’s girlfriend—sharp features, manicured nails, a permanent smirk. “Sadly, she never misses a chance to insert herself.”

Her lips press into a thin line. “I can’t believe he’s still with her.”

I nod with quiet amusement. “Me either. She’s such a slu...”

“Don’t finish that sentence. They might talk like that at the clubhouse, but you don’t talk like that here.”

I bite back a laugh and bow my head. “Sorry, Momma. I can’t help it. She’s not good enough for Chief. He’s all dangerous and handsome, and she looks like a drag-queen imposter.”

Her stern expression melts, and laughter bubbles up between us. “I love how you put things.” She reaches out, brushes my shoulder. “Only you were ever good enough for him.”

Her voice softens, heavy with memories. My mother—the high-school valedictorian raised on country-club privilege—had once been the one and only love of my father’s life. But he chose a dangerous path she couldn’t follow, so she took me and fled. That’s as much as I know. She never goes deeper.

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Advertisement Unmasked Rivalry (Fallen Sons MC #4) Read Online Bella Jewel http://www.books2020.com/unmasked-rivalry-fallen-sons-mc-4-read-online-bella-jewel Sun, 07 Dec 2025 21:06:49 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/unmasked-rivalry-fallen-sons-mc-4-read-online-bella-jewel Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, MC Authors: Bella Jewel Series: Fallen Sons MC Series by Bella Jewel
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Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >61

Callie never planned to come home.
Not since the day her cousin died, her brother got locked up, and her world fell apart. She swore
she’d never set foot on that broken-down farm again—or see the brooding biker who used to call
her cousin his old lady.
But fate’s got a twisted sense of humor, and the farm is now hers to deal with.
Knox is the last person she wants to ask for help. Moody, infuriating, and impossible to read,
he’s made it very clear she’s not his problem. Yet every time something goes wrong—a busted
fence, a rogue cow, or a spider invasion—she ends up calling him anyway.
After all, he has the answers to so many of her questions. Even if he is unwilling to speak.
Then shadows from her cousin’s past start creeping back, dragging Callie into a dangerous game
she never saw coming. The cartel wants something from her. Knox has secrets he’s desperate to
keep. And the closer they get to the truth, the more explosive their rivalry becomes.
Because some grudges don’t fade.
Some hearts don’t heal.
And when it all comes out, someone’s world is going to come crashing down

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Staring at the old, worn-down farmhouse, it takes all of my strength not to turn and get the hell out of here. Hell, lighting a match seems like a better idea than walking into the spider-infested dump that has been left alone now for over five years. I don't know whose sick idea it was to leave it all to me, but here I am, in a place I have never even stepped foot into, let alone earned the right to inherit.

But my now-deceased uncle had other ideas.

Exhaling a slow and somewhat angry breath, I approach the house.

The porch sags, and the front door, paint blistered, knob dangling by a single stubborn screw, looks like the mouth of something that would rather swallow me whole and be done with it. I curl my lip, scared to take another step, and tell myself I’m just going to get this done and leave. I don’t want to stay in this hole a second longer than I have to.

But I’m not fooling anyone, least of all myself. I do that thing, the one where I inhale through my nose and just let the memory slap me around for a minute. I can’t help but remember how much Harper loved this place. It was just her and my uncle, the two of them against the world. She would visit me and tell me all about it.

I feel guilty that I never got the chance to see it before now.

My heart twists.

The barn lists to the east, its tin roof sagging, and the fence meant to keep the horses in, when there were horses, leans so far sideways it’s practically a suggestion, not a boundary. I count three different kinds of thistle in the front two acres. Only one paddock is in somewhat good condition because it is filled with my uncle's old cows that he kept here, even when he went into an old people's home.

He wasn’t parting with them.

“Fucking hell,” I say, not bothering to soften my voice. The place can take it. If I’m honest, it looks like it enjoys a bit of rough play.

I resist, for as long as I can manage, which is about thirty seconds. Then I square my shoulders and dare to go inside. The door creaks, and I’m actually scared it might fall off. I shove it open and stare inside, my stomach twisting with something unfamiliar.

The hall is narrow, same grime lines tracing where picture frames once were, same dull gouges in the baseboards, like the past’s fingernails dug in for dear life. I run my hand along the dusty banister and cringe when I lift my fingers to find mouse droppings. Cursing, I swipe my hands over my jeans and attempt to remove the filth.

My phone buzzes. I ignore it.

I make a slow lap of the first floor. Kitchen, covered in dust, no dishes left, a field mouse nest occupying the sink. Living room, the wallpaper peeling off the walls and the floors dusty, leaving a trail of my footprints behind me. There is an old sofa and a television that was left behind when my uncle left. I don’t dare touch any of it.

By the time I reach the back sunroom, I am coughing from a tickle in my throat, no doubt from all the dust I stirred up. I check the bedrooms, one with a bed and a few dressers, and other than that, everything is empty. All the furniture, the memories, gone. I exhale, not sure I am fit to deal with this right now. My therapist will have a field day with me when I return home.

And then something clatters out on the drive: tires on gravel, the distant slam of a car door. I turn, squinting, but I can’t see a single thing out of the murky windows. God, when was the last time they were cleaned? I don’t even want to know the answer to that.

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Advertisement Unmasked Anarchy (Fallen Sons MC #3) Read Online Bella Jewel http://www.books2020.com/unmasked-anarchy-fallen-sons-mc-3-read-online-bella-jewel Thu, 25 Sep 2025 16:02:59 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/unmasked-anarchy-fallen-sons-mc-3-read-online-bella-jewel Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, Contemporary, Erotic, Forbidden, MC Authors: Bella Jewel Series: Fallen Sons MC Series by Bella Jewel
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Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >63

Sable shouldn’t be alive. Left for dead in the dark woods, she is rescued by Kael — the brooding Fallen Son who comes like a hero in the night. Nursing her back to health in secret, Kael swears to protect the woman whose haunted eyes mirror his own, even as he senses the storm she’s hiding.
Dark secrets. Deadly consequences.
Sable isn’t just running from nightmares. She’s the old lady of Gage, a ruthless enforcer from a rival MC. Every single moment with Kael feeds an obsession that burns deep within her broken soul. Unknowingly, Sable hands Gage the intel he needs to spill Fallen Sons’ blood. As bodies drop and tensions explode, Sable finds herself dancing between two worlds. Gage or Kael. Two men who mark her in an entirely different way.
Loyalties fracture, and secrets are exposed.
Gage, the man Sable loved in such a broken down and twisted way, shows just how dangerous his love can be. In a world laced with lies and blood, Kael and Sable must decide if their trauma‑bonded love is worth the destruction it brings — and whether peace is even possible in a world built on chaos.
Unmasked Anarchy is a dark MC romance thriller that will leave you breathless, broken, and begging for more. Nothing is simple in the Fallen Sons universe… and the war is far from over

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Mud, cold and clammy, presses into my cheeks as I pull my body forward. I don’t recall how many times I have passed out, and I can’t feel a single ounce of pain, even though I know what happened to me is bad. The white-hot feeling of the knife being plunged into my stomach replays over and over in my mind.

They left me for dead.

Only they didn’t complete the job.

With each ragged breath, I make a vow to myself that I won’t die out here. I won’t let this be how I go out.

My body doesn’t even feel like mine anymore. The strength inside me is the last thing I am clinging to, praying it is enough to get me to the road. My fingernails are caked with dirt as heavy rain falls around me and, inch by horrifying inch, I manage to drag myself closer.

They could be there, waiting.

Every inch feels like it’s killing me. I am leaking; I don’t know how much blood I have lost, but I do know it is a deadly amount. My legs slump behind me, and it doesn’t seem to matter how much I will them to move, they don’t. My arms are the only thing taking me closer to the light above the dark shadows.

Don’t pass out now. If I lose this, I lose everything.

With effort, I lift my head. My hair is plastered to my face; the blond strands stuck to my battered skin. A deep breath, another lurch forward. I press my palm to the soft flesh above my hip. The wound there is big. Something soft grazes against my fingers, and I fight back the urge to vomit.

I know what that is.

That is my insides.

I’m going to die out here. I’m going to die.

Panic grips my chest as I reach for my shirt, slowly removing it. A task that should take only seconds takes me so long I wonder if I am going to pass out again. When it is off, I have to force myself onto my side, and with my teeth I tear at the material until it rips in half. Then, another long stretch is wasted as I tie it around my wound, praying it is enough to keep everything in.

The shirt knots against my side, pinching tight and wet, not as secure as I'd like but better than nothing.

One elbow at a time. My hand sinks into something cold and slick, gravel presses against my skin, but it is a stark reminder. I’m still here. I’m still breathing. Above the tree line, I can see the glow of streetlights. It feels so far, but I know that it is mere yards, if that.

It’s uphill, in the dark, and I try not to think about how my body won’t listen anymore. My knees scrape beneath me like dead wood, and my shirt is already soaked with blood, my back sticky with it. The rain is heavier, and I fear that soon the chill will make me pass out once more, only this time I might not wake up.

Another hour passes.

Then another.

Until finally, I make it to the shoulder of the road. A highway so empty it feels abandoned. My heart is pounding in a terrifying way, as if it is about to give up. I roll onto my back, head pounding, and I press my hand to the blood-soaked shirt. This is as far as I can go.

I have nothing left.

My fingers twitch, useless. I half laugh, and the movement tears at my gut, pain flaring so bright I think I’m going to black out. Not yet. Not here. Down the highway, a flicker. Headlights? Probably a hallucination. But the sound is real, an engine, big and throaty, such a familiar sound. I wish I could move, but the truth is, I can’t even lift an arm.

The rumbling gets closer, and then the engine stops, the light from the bike looming over me.

Heavy boots crunch on the gravel as whoever has stopped comes closer.

I try to focus my eyes so I can see the man above me, but my vision is blurring.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ.”

That bad, huh?

Rough hands press against my cheeks, and I blink, but I still can’t focus enough to see him.

“Hey, can you hear me?”

I want to say yes, but my mouth simply won’t move.

“It’s okay, I got you. I’m gettin’ help.”

He doesn’t move from my side as he calls 911. Instead, this man, this angel, sits down and puts my head in his lap, stroking my hair from my face and pressing a hand to my wound, talking softly to me. I couldn’t say exactly what he was talking about, but something about his voice brings me comfort.

Slowly, I let myself slip into darkness.

Because, for a second, I know I’m safe.

1

“Ma’am,” a soft voice calls.

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Advertisement Unmasked Prophecy (Fallen Sons MC #2) Read Online Bella Jewel http://www.books2020.com/unmasked-prophecy-fallen-sons-mc-2-read-online-bella-jewel Thu, 12 Jun 2025 17:15:31 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/unmasked-prophecy-fallen-sons-mc-2-read-online-bella-jewel Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, MC Authors: Bella Jewel Series: Fallen Sons MC Series by Bella Jewel
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Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60023 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >62

Nia has spent her life locked in fear, her choices stripped away by a cult that turned survival into obedience. Freedom was never meant for someone like her—until she lands at the doorstep of the Fallen Sons MC.
And meets Talon.
Breathtaking. Brutal. Untouchable.
He’s the kind of man who ruins people. The kind who doesn’t flinch at violence, or love, or anything in between. She should stay away. Instead, she finds herself drawn to him in a way that terrifies her.
When the cult resurfaces—armed with secrets they’ll kill to keep buried—Talon and the club becomes her only shield. He vows to protect her, but mostly, he promises to teach her about a life she’s never experienced. He promises to set her free.
She escaped once, but escaping wasn’t enough.
Now…now it’s time to end it.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

"Hush now, Lily. If you don't stop crying, then I’ll have to go."

My voice is a whisper, barely louder than the ragged breaths tearing through the little girl in my arms. Stroking trembling fingers through her matted blonde hair, I beg my heart to slow down, to stop beating so damned hard. I don't have long — maybe half an hour, if I'm lucky, before someone comes looking.

The tent smells of mildew and dirt, and the broken cot she’s lying on creaks with every small movement. Lily, barely five years old, weighs next to nothing. Her tiny frame is lost beneath the filthy blanket that’s supposed to keep her warm. She shivers, her body hot with a raging fever, something I am praying I can break soon.

I fear if I don’t, it will claim her young, innocent life.

"Come on, sweet girl, just a little," I plead, reaching for the stale sandwich I managed to sneak in. "Just one bite."

She turns her face away, her cracked lips trembling. Tears streak dirt across her hollow cheeks. Her bright blue eyes, once beautiful, are now sunken. Such a beautiful child, sucked into a world I fear she will never escape. There doesn’t seem to be a way out for any of us, and it doesn’t matter what I do — they will always be there.

Lurking in the shadows.

Out there, beyond the fence that traps us all, Lily would have been removed from these monsters. She would have been placed into the foster system, taken from the devils who call themselves her parents. But in here? In here, she’s just another soul my father claims will find freedom through suffering.

They preach about salvation. About trials and faith. About sacrifice.

They use God like a shield for their cruelty.

They're not holy. They're monsters.

"No," Lily whimpers, clutching her stomach.

"Please, honey. For me," I whisper, stroking her hair away from her face, so I can better see her little features.

Her big, sunken blue eyes — so full of pain — lift to mine, and something in my chest cracks wide open. Maybe she knows. Maybe she understands as well as I do that there is no saving us. It won’t matter what we do; they will always have control. In this world, we belong to them. In this world, they own us.

Finally, she leans forward, taking a bite so small it will do nothing to nourish her. It's not enough, but it's something. I push gently, coaxing her into another, and another. Each bite feels like a victory, but I know it’s very likely she won’t keep it down long. I can only hope her body absorbs as much as it can before she brings it all back up again.

"My tummy hurts," she moans.

"I know, sweetheart. I know."

I reach into the pocket of my dress and pull out a tiny white pill, broken into pieces. Painkillers. Swiped from the forbidden stash that only the leaders of the cult have access to — supplies that are only for the worthy. If my father ever found out, he wouldn't hesitate.

He'd hang me. Beat me bloody. Call it mercy.

But I'd do it again. A thousand times over. For her.

"Here, just a sip of water first," I murmur, lifting the cracked cup to her lips.

She sips, then chokes and sputters, gagging on the pill as I press it onto her tongue. Half of it ends up spat down the front of my dress. I’m not bothered; I can only hope that some of it went down, that it’s enough to break the fever currently taking over her already weak body.

"I know it tastes yucky," I soothe, wiping her mouth. "But it'll help."

Carefully, I lay her back, pulling the tattered blanket up to her chin. Her frail little body curls into itself. It kills me, and I wish that I could do something — anything — to free her from this world. The very moment Lily was born, I knew I had to protect her. Her parents never thought she was worth saving, and in this place, if you are weak, you are not worth anything.

Lily was always seen as weak — a frail baby, a broken child.

To them, if she dies, it’s because God didn’t believe she was worthy of living.

And so it will be.

"Should we sing your favorite song?" I whisper, blinking back tears.

She nods, a small, broken movement.

My voice shakes as I begin to sing, soft and slow, the lullaby my mother once sang to me before this place swallowed her whole. Before my father became —

The chosen one.

The Father. The deliverer. The monster.

"What the hell are you doing in here?"

The voice rips through me, causing my spine to go rigid and my voice to crack mid-song. My heart lurches as I whip around. Standing in the entrance is Reginald, Lily’s father — a brutal man with black eyes and cruelty etched into every line of his face.

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Advertisement Unmasked Legacy (Fallen Sons MC #1) Read Online Bella Jewel http://www.books2020.com/unmasked-legacy-fallen-sons-mc-1-read-online-bella-jewel Sun, 02 Mar 2025 13:36:16 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/unmasked-legacy-fallen-sons-mc-1-read-online-bella-jewel Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, MC Authors: Bella Jewel Series: Fallen Sons MC Series by Bella Jewel
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Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)

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From USA Today Bestselling Author Bella Jewel comes a brand new, thrilling, dark motorcycle romance with a twist of murder! You won't want to miss this one!

Years after her father's reign of terror as the infamous Shadow Butcher, Mera Sloane returns to the small town she once called home, hoping she can start again. But people there haven't forgotten. When a young girl vanishes in a way that mirrors her father's crimes, the suspicions turn to Mera, leaving her with no one to trust.

No one, except the Fallen Sons MC, a notorious biker gang whose leader, Wolfe 'Rook' Cross, knows more about her father's past than he lets on. Wolfe is ruthless, magnetic, and shrouded in secrets - secrets that pull Mera deeper into a world of danger and desire.

As Mera and Wolfe race against the clock to find the missing girl, the lines between trust and betrayal blur. The closer they get to the truth, the more Mera realizes that some monsters wear familiar faces - and the deadliest secrets are the ones we keep.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

TEN YEARS EARLIER

Isit cross-legged on the floor of my father's study, surrounded by a mess of book reports and assignments I can't seem to finish. The sound of a distant storm rolling in continues to distract me. The soft rain falling on the roof seems to be lulling me into a daze and causing my mind to wander, focusing on anything but what I’m meant to be doing.

My thoughts keep drifting to Jace, the boy from school with sandy blond hair and piercing blue eyes who consumes my every thought. His unexpected text last night still sends a thrill through me. He hasn’t spoken to me before, and then, out of the blue, he messaged me. The butterflies are still swimming around my tummy when I think of how that made me feel.

Is there a possibility that he likes me?

At fifteen, I know my father wouldn’t agree, but I have had a crush on Jace for as long as I can remember.

A sharp exhale escapes me, a reminder to focus. The end of term is far too close, and I'm drowning in overdue work. I sift through my father's extensive collection of books, sure he owns something useful. Although I'm not supposed to be in here, I just know he has something that might be able to help me finish this work before I fall too far behind.

As I toss a few books out of an old, dusty box, an unmarked envelope slips to the floor. Curious, I pick it up, eyeing the dusty encyclopedia it fell from—a relic of a time before Google. I can’t believe this is all they used to use. Curiosity piqued, I open the envelope and pull out a stack of photographs. My breath catches, and my body tenses. These aren't family snapshots—they’re crime scene photos so graphic they make my skin crawl.

I recognize them instantly. Everyone would. The horrific work of the Shadow Butcher, whose terror has gripped our state for over five years now, making every parent fearful for their loved ones. A man who has escaped police capture and managed to continue the nightmare. Why does my father have these unblurred images? We’ve all seen them, of course, but the media is very careful to black out anything too graphic to be shown on television and news articles.

Unable to stop myself, I flip through the photos, a cold dread settling in my stomach. The last moments of the victims captured are beyond comprehension, too awful for me to stare at for another minute. I shove them back into the envelope, but something else grabs my attention, more papers shoved into the middle of the book —maps and notes meticulously detailing each murder. Their locations, the victims' details, scrawled in a handwriting I know all too well: my father's.

The familiar rumble of thunder outside mirrors the chaos inside me. Papers scatter as I fumble in disbelief, desperately trying to shove them all back before anyone finds me in here. The evidence before me is glaringly real, yet I cling to the hope that there's an explanation, something that makes this nightmare untrue.

There is no way. No way in the world that the man I have loved my entire life is a monster – is this monster.

The squeaking sound of the garage door has me jerking upright—he's home. Panicked, I shove the items into my backpack and quickly put everything back into the box, returning it to its spot before taking my spot back on the floor with my papers, desperately pleading with my heart to stop pounding.

Footsteps echo in the hallway, and he calls my name, his voice warm and tender, exactly as it has always been. But now, that voice feels tainted, and a fear washes through me, a fear I can’t quite put my finger on. Is it fear of the truth, or fear of the man I have trusted my entire life with?

"Mera, sweetheart, what are you doing in my study?"

His sky-blue eyes and crooked smile are the first thing I see when I look up to see him standing in the doorway, and my heart skips a beat. There is no way this man could be the one they’re all looking for. Not this kind, compassionate man who raised me when my mother died years long ago. He is my entire world.

It’s simply not possible.

I force a smile, my voice shaky. "I hoped you had a reference book for my assignment. Sorry, I know I shouldn't be here. I haven't found one yet, I’m really not sure what I’m looking for.”

He sits beside me, placing his briefcase down, his eyes mirroring mine—a sight that used to soothe me now sends chills down my spine. Can someone so loving be capable of such horror? Is it even possible? I don’t believe it. I won’t. I have spent my life with this man.

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Advertisement Jackson – MC Sinners Read Online Bella Jewel http://www.books2020.com/jackson-mc-sinners-read-online-bella-jewel Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:04:15 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/jackson-mc-sinners-read-online-bella-jewel Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, MC Authors: Bella Jewel Advertisement

Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 59950 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)

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The final book in the bestselling MC Sinners series is here.
Reading order - Hell's Knights, Heaven's Sinner, Knights Sinner, Bikers and Tinsel, Muff, Cade, Spike & Jackson.

Evil.
That’s what he is. The man who took her from me.
Twisted and dark, the kind of person who has a front of innocence but behind the mask, is a cold-blooded killer.
Now, because of him, she’s stuck behind bars, in a world where I can’t protect her.
Violent enemies and people who want blood will hunt her down.
She has a past that will haunt her.
They’ll find her, and they’ll try to take what’s mine.
Helpless isn’t a feeling I’ve had in my life, but it’s what I feel now.
Serenity is tough, but she’s not invincible.
Being in prison well test her, it will make or break her.
My fear is that she won’t come out of it unscathed.
Time is running out, and the club will need to fight to end this.
I will find the man who did this to her, and his blood will coat my hands.
I will make him wish he was never born.
But first, I’m going to get her out of there.
A prison break is on the cards - dangerous and risky.
But for her, I’d do anything.
For her, I’ll set the world alight.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Serenity

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Water trickles down from a leak in the ceiling and drips onto the floor as I stare up at the dark nothingness, my chest tight, my hands curled by my sides. I’ve tried everything to get comfortable, but it doesn’t seem to matter what I do; I’m just fighting a losing battle.

I’m not meant to be here.

I was so sure I made the right call going after Gerard—I thought I would end it all and we could all go back to our lives—but instead I made it all worse. Now I’m in here, being accused of things I didn’t do, with him running free somewhere. My daughter is alone. I think that hurts the most.

She shouldn’t have to be without me.

Not now.

Not ever.

What if Jackson doesn’t get me out of this? What if this is something we can’t undo? A perfect plan that has been orchestrated so well that we won’t find a single loophole. That thought has my chest clenching as I turn to my side, staring out the cell door where it seems to be constant chaos.

It’s never quiet in here.

I don’t sleep—I’m too scared to close my eyes.

Being alone in this cell seems to be more trouble than it’s worth. I’m constantly snickered at and insulted for being a princess. I didn’t choose this. Hell, I’d do just about anything to go back and change what happened. It’s an endless cycle of panic and dread that swirls around in my chest, over and over.

I want to go home.

Jackson is beside himself, and I’m afraid he’ll do something stupid just to get me out of here. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping he would go to some extreme to free me, but I also don’t want this to follow us around for the rest of our lives. So, for them, I keep a smile. When he visits, I tell him everything is okay.

It’s the biggest lie I’ve told in a long time.

I’m not okay.

I’m terrified.

I have to trust that they’ll find Gerard and prove that he is a psychotic killer before I’m in here for too long.

Ava.

She is the only thing that truly has my heart clenching.

My baby.

This isn’t fair.

“It’s time for lunch.”

I stare at the guard at the door, a woman who is round and angry. She hates me, just like everyone else in here. Too pretty. Too precious. Too perfect. Princess. Baby. Dolly. I get called everything. They have no idea the life I lived before I met Jackson.

“I’m not hungry,” I tell the guard, shifting my eyes to the ground.

“I wasn’t asking you. Get up, or I’ll get you up.”

She will, too.

Biting my lip, I push to my feet and stand before her, my eyes still cast down.

“Come on, princess. There are many people waiting to see your pretty face today.”

She thinks it’s funny.

She loves that I’m suffering.

Some guards come into this job just to torment criminals. It makes them feel powerful and strong, like they are better.

I don’t react to her words, instead I follow her out to the line of people heading toward the dining area. I’m shoved as I move, but I don’t respond. I’ll get my food and leave. It’s the only way. Keep my head down and don’t interact with anyone. I need to get out of this alive.

That’s all I care about.

I line up with my food tray, watching the terrible goop being slapped down by the cooks. When I have enough, I find a table right at the back of the room where, for now, nobody is sitting. I take a seat and shove my food around, not interested in eating it. I know I should, I do, but I don’t want to.

“I have a message for you.”

The voice comes from a female, and when I look up she is grinning down at me, her face still. “You know my friend Hound, right?”

My heart skips a beat, I haven’t heard that name in years. Because that name belongs to a man I thought was long dead. I thought he went down when my father’s club was destroyed.

There is meant to be nobody left.

Shaking my head, I stare at the girl in confusion.

“Oh, you do know him.”

I know him alright.

His name is Hans, also known as Hound in the club that he once was part of. My father’s club. He was the Sergeant in arms and is, without a doubt, the most evil and disgusting human I have ever met outside my father. He was meant to die in that explosion. I thought they were all gone, but I was wrong.

So incredibly wrong.

“You thought you got rid of him, didn’t you?”

The image of that man flashes in my mind. Hound is probably the same age as Jackson, but he looks nothing like him. Instead, he is large, muscled, and bald. He is covered in tattoos, including his face, and everywhere that can be pierced on his body, is. He is terrifying, and he knows it.

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Advertisement Spike – MC Sinners Read Online Bella Jewel http://www.books2020.com/spike-mc-sinners-read-online-bella-jewel Mon, 23 Sep 2024 09:24:20 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/spike-mc-sinners-read-online-bella-jewel Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, MC Authors: Bella Jewel Advertisement

Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)

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Continue the thrilling, bestselling MC Sinners series.
Reading order - Hell's Knights, Heavens Sinner, Knights Sinner, Muff, Cade, Spike, Jackson (Coming Soon)

It’s always the past, isn’t it?
That seems like a common theme around here.
If it isn’t one of us, it’s another.
The things we pushed aside, coming back to haunt us, even when we think we’ve buried it.
We should know better by now. Nothing is ever truly gone.
My past is one I don’t want to relive.
I just got the love of my life back.
We just got good.
We just found our happy.
Yet here we are tangled back in the mess that was left behind.
Secrets, lies and betrayal.
Stories that run deep.
Pain that has been left hidden.
People with a need for vengeance.
An explosion waiting to happen.
All we wanted was a life without drama, pain and danger.
But I should know by now that isn’t how this world works.
No.
If it’s not raining, it’s f*cking pouring.
Someone wants what is mine, and they’re going to have to go through me to get it.
Light me a god damn cigarette, I’m going to need it.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

My boot twists on his face as he writhes on the ground, his voice muffled by the dirty rubber now crushing his ability to breathe. Hands clawing at my legs, he tries desperately to get me to release the pressure. Fucking hell no. You want to come in, threaten my club, bash my members and try to get away? I don’t fucking think so. Today, this man will learn what happens when you mess with us.

I’m tired of doing things the right way.

Jackson is getting older, and, because of that, he’s being a lot more lenient on these scumbags. Not me. Fuck no. I relish in the sounds of their pitiful screams when they realize they’ve been caught, and nothing anyone can do will get them out of it. Oh yes, I love the way it feels to know I’m the last person they’re going to see in their pathetic, drug-ridden lives.

Fucking scum.

All of them.

“Can’t hear you, what did you say?” I murmur, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, bringing it to my lips and inhaling as I watch his face slowly turning blue.

His fingers claw at my legs now, gouging into my flesh, trying desperately to hurt me enough to release him.

Casually, I smoke, watching the life slowly slip away from him.

I should care. This should bother me. But it doesn’t.

I’ve taken enough lives to know they are replaceable.

People like this don’t deserve a fucking second chance.

Now I have kids in this world, I want to clean it up as best I can for them.

Starting with him.

He finally stops squirming, and his hands fall limply to his sides. Removing my boot, I shove it into his side a few times. Dead weight. Exactly how it should be. Inhaling another deep pull, I exhale the smoke and drop the cigarette down on him. Using my boot, I crush it out and then turn, striding out of the dark alley in the most fucked up part of the neighborhood.

Nobody will care when they find him dead.

Hell, they probably won’t even pick up his body.

They’ll leave him there for the rats and scum.

That’s where he belongs. That’s where they all belong.

And one by one, I plan on taking them out.

Can’t fucking wait.

1 – Ciara

“Your man is causin’ trouble again,” Cade murmurs, leaning against the bar as I wipe a glass, preparing to put it away.

“Tell me what he’s done now, because honestly, Cade, it’s like trying to keep a leash on a bear.”

Chuckling, Cade sips his beer. “He’s ridding the world of scum, which I don’t blame him for, but the man is goin’ to get himself locked up if he’s not careful.”

Scrunching my lip, I look up at him. “What do you mean ridding the world of scum?”

“Eliminating the filth. Don’t need to explain what that means. By now, you know.”

“Define scum,” I say, tipping my head to the side and holding his gaze.

“Murderers, rapists, drug dealers ... scum.”

Shrugging, I go back to wiping the glass. “Then let him go, I say.”

“He’s careless, Tom Cat, it will get him killed if he ain’t careful.”

Pausing, I stare at my long-time friend and occasional enemy. “Spike won’t be told what to do. You and I both know that. I’ll tell him to be careful, but I also know that what you guys do in your spare time would probably scare the shit out of me. You’re a biker club, he’s doing the work that needs to be done. You and I both know this town is getting overrun with bad people wanting to cause problems. Is it so bad if he eliminates a few of them?”

Since when did murder and I become friends?

Years ago, the very thought of a life being taken would make me sick. Now, I’m talking about it in conversation as if it’s nothing.

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Advertisement Cade – MC Sinners Read Online Bella Jewel http://www.books2020.com/cade-mc-sinners-read-online-bella-jewel Mon, 08 Jul 2024 20:38:34 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/cade-mc-sinners-read-online-bella-jewel Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, MC Authors: Bella Jewel Advertisement

Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60447 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)

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The MC SINNERS continues with Cade’s story. Continue the love affair as Addison and Cade navigate his past. It’ll either make or break them. I guess you’ll have to continue to find out. Enter, if you dare.

You all know her story.
You’ve lived it. Felt it. Breathed it.
The focus has always been on her.
Why wouldn’t it be? She’s the fucking sunshine.
She changed my life.
She made me the man I am.
So, I kept my story hidden, in the darkest depths where it belongs.
My life is good, and I have no desire to change it.
That is until my feisty, fiery, stubborn woman decides to make it her mission to find out what secrets lie beneath the surface.
There is no voice of reason.
She won’t hear me when I tell her that I don’t want her going down that road.
Rocky, jagged, and broken – she’s tearing us apart in her quest to find answers.
She doesn’t want those answers, because gone will be the picture she created of me in her already shattered mind.
I’ll no longer be the man who rescued her, who changed her life, who made her better.
Instead, I’ll be cast aside with all the other villains in her story.
Because, if she keeps on digging, I’m going to become the monster in her mind.
I can’t let that happen.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Cade – Then

“I didn’t do it,” Clara cries, pressing her hands over her chest as she looks at me with those manipulative eyes.

Those eyes then swing to my father and flutter with an innocence that is so far from the truth. Clara is anything but innocent. She can play this family better than even the best and most dangerous men. She has a streak of evil that is going to get her in trouble one day. It doesn’t stop me from being there when she needs me, though. That’s the problem when you’re raised the way I am—you protect your own.

Every now and then, I see the light inside her soul, and it’s what keeps me going strong. When she cries herself to sleep after my father has beaten her, I can’t help but want to protect her. The urge is strong, it’s in my bones, and after we lost our mother, I knew I had to step up. That doesn’t mean I trust her, because she would throw me in front of a bus to save her own life.

That’s the kind of person she is.

Still, she’s my sister, and I have a duty of care toward her.

My father, with his dull green eyes and heavy beer belly, takes a step toward my sister. The alcohol on his breath wafts past, stinging my nose. He’s drunk, and when he’s drunk, he’s abusive. Something I really don’t feel like dealing with right now. “This screams of you, Clara,” he drawls, his voice low and slightly slurred. “How fuckin’ stupid do you think I am?”

“It was Cade.” She shakes her head, putting her hands up. “He was the one who gave it to me.”

Another lie.

Turning the blame onto me means I can take the wrath and she doesn’t have to. It’s my fault, really. I protected her. Every waking moment of our childhood, I would take the blame for everything, because I didn’t want to see her hurt. Now, it has become the new normal, something she no longer feels any guilt about.

Maybe it’s because I can fight back now, or maybe she likes it.

It’s hard to tell.

My sister is on the verge of being a sociopath, I’m almost sure of it.

“That true, boy?”

Turning his piercing glare to me, he twists his big body and takes a step forward, getting in my face. At sixteen, I’m not as big as him, but what I don’t make up for in size, I do in strength. My father is weak, the alcohol and drugs long dragging any power from his body and burying it. He’s big, but he’s weak. That doesn’t mean he can’t make it hurt, though.

We both know he can.

“Doesn’t matter what I say,” I mutter. “You’ll believe her anyway, so get it over with.”

He bares his teeth with rage and curls a hand around my throat, shoving me back until I slam into the kitchen counter. His hot breath makes my stomach turn as he leans in, baring his rotting teeth. “You dare aggravate me, boy?”

“I said,” I grind out, leaning in closer and never breaking eye contact, “get it over with.”

His fist connects with my jaw, sending my head to the side. I don’t make a sound, even though, for a second, my vision blurs. I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he has any power over me. Slowly, head pounding, I meet his gaze again. “That all you got?”

Another punch, this one harder, splitting my lip. Blood fills my mouth and trickles down my chin as I spit it onto his face, the red splatters coating his pale grey skin. His eyes widen with shock and rage, and then he reaches beside him for a knife. Then, and only then, does Clara stop him with a pained yell. “Don’t, Daddy, don’t hurt him.”

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Advertisement Muff – MC Sinners Read Online Bella Jewel http://www.books2020.com/muff-mc-sinners-read-online-bella-jewel Sat, 30 Mar 2024 18:33:36 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/muff-mc-sinners-read-online-bella-jewel Genre: Alpha Male, Biker, Contemporary, MC Authors: Bella Jewel Advertisement

Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 60852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)

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You know him.You love him.The free-spirited, wild child that he is.Carefree, charming, the kind of man you can’t get enough of.Muff is dangerous and edgy, but always has a way of making you feel alive.He lives his life with a soul full of fire and passion.He’s the man I saw myself spending forever with.He became my everything.If you had asked me if there was a single moment in my life that wasn’t perfect, I would have told you no.That is until everything changed.My beautiful, spirited man has secrets.Secrets he keeps hidden from everyone he loves, including me.Now everything is different.Gone is the perfect life I imagined.Now, I’m left with a gaping hole in my heart that he once filled.How do we get past this?How do we move on?I don’t know if things will ever be the same again.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

“YOU HAVE A wife?” I gasp.

Agony rips through my soul as I stare into the eyes of the man I’ve come to trust and love, and I know what happened tonight is going to completely change the course of my life, of our lives. It hurts, it burns to a depth I didn’t know was possible. There is pain, and then there is this—something I will never recover from. It’s something that will forever tarnish parts of my soul, marring it until it breaks into a thousand tiny pieces.

“Had. Yes,” he growls, his voice thick as he runs a hand through that long, red hair I’ve come to love so much.

“You swore ...” I whisper, my fingers curling into the flesh on my chest, as if that will take the pain away. “You swore we would always be honest with each other and, all along, you’ve been keeping a secret like this?”

“Jaybird ...”

“No,” I bellow, my voice cracking. “Don’t you dare. You let me fall in love with you. We have a child together. And all this time, you’ve been lying. What are you going to do now, Muff? How are you going to fix all the things you’ve broken? You had a wife. A fucking wife.”

His eyes are pleading with me to understand, but I don’t, I won’t. There was never a good enough reason for him to keep this from me. Not for a single second. Even if it happened in the past, he could have told me. But the fact that she came back and he has known about it? Instead of telling me, he decided to lie and sneak around? That’s what kills me, that’s what burns deep inside. It burns because a small part of me fears that he didn’t tell me because he doesn’t know what he wants.

“I don’t know,” he barks, his fists curled angrily by his sides. “I don’t know how to deal with anything happening right now. I’m fuckin’ ...”

“What?” I shout, my knees wobbling. “What?”

“I’m fuckin’ confused!”

Those words hurt, they sting, because it’s my biggest fear coming true. He doesn’t know what he wants.

I thought we were unbreakable, but now ...

I can’t do this.

I can’t risk my heart.

“Let me make this easy for you,” I whisper, my voice no longer. “We’re done.”

“Fuck,” he barks into the empty, cold, lonely night. “Why are you making this so hard? You haven’t even let me fuckin’ explain.”

“Me?” I laugh, bitterly. “You did this, Muff. You did this. Not me. I’m protecting myself because I thought ... I thought there wasn’t a single thing in this world that could break us and tonight I was proven wrong.”

“I just need time.”

Shaking my head, I stare down at the cracks on the footpath beneath my sneakers. “I don’t have time that I’m willing to give. I’ve lived long enough as a second, I won’t do it again. It’s over, Muff.”

I turn, walking toward the car where all the girls are waiting, their eyes wide. I don’t get far when his hand lashes out, curling around my upper arm and pulling me back toward him. “Janine ...”

Ripping my arm from his grips, I spin to face him. “Do not. You made a choice. You chose to lie, to sneak, to keep me out of this. You didn’t care about how it was going to make me feel. I don’t think there is a way I can come back.”

“We have a child together ...”

“Yes, we do. That will never change. You can see Max whenever you want, but for right now, I need you to leave. Leave me alone.”

“Don’t do this,” his voice is raspy, broken, and it kills me.

“Can you promise me that your mind and heart is fully in this, that you’re not thinking about your life with her, and maybe considering taking her back?”

He swallows, and I know the answer even though I don’t want to admit it.

He knows it too; he just doesn’t want to say it.

“I need time to figure out ...”

“Then take it,” I cut him off. “But don’t you dare ask me to wait.”

“So that’s it, you’re fuckin’ done? Just like that? You’re not even goin’ to try and understand?”

I smile, but it’s broken and hurt. “You know, that’s laughable. I would have understood if you had told me when we met. You kept the biggest part of yourself hidden, and you didn’t trust me with it. Now that has resurfaced and torn our lives apart. I would have understood if you had given me the chance, but you didn’t, you took that away, and now I have to do what’s best for me.”

“Fine,” he growls, his hurt being replaced with anger.

I expected as much.

“Fuckin’ leave. Run. You know how to do that so fuckin’ well, don’t you, Jaybird?”

“Fuck you, Brian.”

I reach for the car door, opening it and getting inside, slamming it hard before the tears burst forth and flow down my cheeks. Addison takes off before he can stop me, before he can try and talk me out of it, before he can do anything to try and fix the mess he has created. He broke me tonight, and I don’t think I can ever forgive him for it.

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